Top stories today:

1. OpenAI reportedly plans to release next AI model “Orion” by Dec.
2. Meta launches “quantized” versions of Llama 3.2 for low-powered devices
3. Apple confirms new Macs will be announced next week
4. Google Photos now informs users when a photo has been edited using AI
5. Elon’s wealth +$33.5B to $270.3B after Tesla’s +22% move

0. Data and calendar

Listen to our AI-generated podcast summarizing today’s newsletter (beware the few hallucinations):

1. OpenAI reportedly plans to release next AI model “Orion” by Dec.

Even ChatGPT interprets a Sep. 14 tweet from CEO Sam Altman as a hint to “Orion”:

• Likely won’t be initially released through ChatGPT, but rather by OpenAI granting first access to some companies it works closely with.

• As early as Nov.: when Microsoft could deploy Orion on Azure.

• GPT-5 may not be its official name.

• Previously teased as up to 100x more powerful than GPT-4.

3. Meta launches “quantized” versions of Llama 3.2 for low-powered devices

• The quantized Llama 3.2 1B improves inference speed over the existing Llama 3.2.

• Meta has also introduced a 3B parameter quantized Llama 3.2.

• Both use Quantization-Aware Training with LoRA adaptors and SpinQuant techniques.

• 2-4x faster, with 56% size reduction, and 41% lower memory usage than the original Llama 3.2 model.

• Qualcomm and MediaTek chips are supported by the new models.

4. Apple confirms new Macs will be announced next week

• New MacBook Pros, Mac Mini, and iMacs are expected.

6. Google Photos now informs users when a photo has been edited using AI

• An “AI info” section appears with the photo’s metadata to provide disclosure.

• Edits made with Magic Editor and Magic Eraser will include the disclosure.

• The section will also indicate photos with elements from other images.

• The move comes 2 months after an updated Magic Editor was introduced.

• Google faced backlash for distributing AI photo-editing without abuse controls.

7. Elon’s wealth +$33.5B to $270.3B after Tesla’s +22% move

• Still below his $335B net worth in November 2021, when Tesla’s market cap reached $1.2T.

• Bezos is #2 with $209B, Zuckerberg #3 with $201B.

8. Megadeals grow even while venture funding slows

• 237 rounds of $100M or more have been closed in 2024 YTD, vs. 210 in 2023.

• 2021’s peak of 824 megadeals is still far off.

Biotech/healthcare have led the megadeals this year, with 87 deals closed so far

• AI, cybersecurity, and energy/renewables follow biotech/ healthcare.

• OpenAI’s $6.6B was the biggest round, followed by xAI’s $6B.

10. X’s rival Bluesky crosses 13M+ users worldwide

• 12M+ users were added in the past year.

• X has 600M monthly active users, and likely B’s of registered ones.

• X’s ban in Brazil helped Bluesky add 2M+ users.

• $15M has been raised by Bluesky in a Series A round led by Blockchain Capital.

11. Interesting videos, posts, and memes

12. Other headlines

AI

• OpenAI to launch Orion as next AI frontier model by Dec.: sources.

• Anthropic’s Claude now run write, run JavaScript code.

• Cerebras says its inference now runs Llama 3.1-70B at 2.1K tokens/second.

Tech

• WeRide, Chinese self-driving firm, raises $120M at $4.2B valuation in U.S. IPO.

• TSMC’s early production yields in U.S. surpass those in Taiwan.

• General Catalyst raises $8B in VC funds.

• Microsoft CEO Nadella’s compensation +63% YoY to $79M.

• Call of Duty latest installment launches today, testing Microsoft’s bet on Activision.

• Notion launches email client.

Tech & law

• Google’s $2B Anthropic deal formally probed by UK.

• Meta, Google, TikTok must face schools’ addiction claims, judge rules.

Biotech

• Gameto to get $10M for menopause-targeting from ARPA-H.

• Founders Longevity Forum Singapore tickets go live.

Business

• Tapestry’s $8.5B Capri deal halted by judge after FTC bid.

• Tax-loss harvesting through long-short strategies: a look at.

• China’s stimulus faces skepticism from Washington.

Crypto

• Microsoft to vote on investing in bitcoin in shareholder meeting in Dec.

• GOAT AI-linked memecoin reaches $800M market cap.

• Kraken may add investor Arjun Sethi as co-CEO.

U.S. politics

• Elon accused of talking to Putin several times on geopolitics, business.

• Elon’s super PAC doesn’t announce $1M daily winner after DOJ warning.

World

• Iran signals it could strike back if Iran targets nuclear, oil sites.

• Russia provided Houthis satellite data to attack vessels in Red Sea.

• Europe seeks to enforce Russian sanctions as U.S. election nears.

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